I Know Places
by supermariogirl
Summary: Humanized AU. After Bowser somehow manages to defeat the Mario Bros, Peach is left heartbroken. Rather than face an unhappy marriage with Bowser, she runs away from the Castle. Lost and alone, she receives help from a very unlikely source, but can someone like him be trusted? One Shot. WARNING: Crack Ship! Rated T for mentioned character death.


_**Hello world, it's supermariogirl! You're probably wondering what the hell this is.**_ _ **Well, I have a shocking confession to make.**_

 _ **I kinda, sorta, maybe, lowkey ship Peach and King Boo.**_

 _ **"WHAT?!" you all gasp. "That's weird!"**_

 _ **Well, I was looking through forums and I saw this thread about weird pairings. Someone mentioned PeachXKing Boo, and a light bulb appeared over my head. I kinda like the idea of those two being romantically involved. So I wrote this. So shout out to that person, if you're reading this, you know who you are!**_

 ** _Also this takes place in a humanized AU like Luigi's Dilemma mainly because I feel it would be less weird. Enjoy! P.S this is a looong one shot. This was like, 12-13 pages, and almost 5000 words! The longest single chapter I have ever written. I thought it would be better to just give the entire story right then and there instead of making you guys wait for updates._**

 **The Disclaimer Song:**

 _I make stories for me and you,_

 _But I own nothing so please don't sue! Dum!_

* * *

Peach ran as fast as she could. She couldn't take it anymore, she had enough.

It had happened just six months ago, the event that changed her life forever. She had seen the whole tragedy occur before her very eyes. She still couldn't believe that Bowser would ever defeat them. But he did, and they were gone.

She also remembered the night after it happened. She cried for hours until she ran out of tears. The Kingdom declared a day of mourning for their fallen heroes. The once cheerful princess was no longer the same.

Now that the Mario Brothers had perished, Bowser was easily able to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Every day, for the past few months, Bowser would ask the princess to marry him. And every day, she gave him the same answer: no.

Peach didn't want to live like this. She didn't want anything to do with the person who killed the man she loved and her closest friend. So one day, she decided she was going to do it. She was going to escape. She brought a few things with her: some clothes, food, some money(but not too much), and water.

She had to save herself now. If she didn't, she would be forced to marry Bowser. And in Peach's mind, a life married to that awful man would be a fate worse than death. He was rude, uncouth, and didn't really care about how she felt.

The princess was already pretty far from the castle. She had been running for at least an hour, and now she found herself in some sort of forest, with a small lake and many trees. She wasn't stupid, she knew that sooner or later, Bowser would send his soldiers to go looking for her. But surely no one would find her here, in this forest.

 _"I can't run anymore..."_ she thought, panting from exhaustion. _"I need to take a break..."_ she slowly walked towards the lake. Looking down, she saw her reflection. Her hair was a mess, her dress was ripped, and one of her gloves was gone, but her crown was still on her head. She took the crown and looked at it for a moment, then threw it in the lake. It landed with a splash and she watched it sink to the bottom, which was satisfying to watch.

She realized if she was to escape from Bowser, she needed to make sure he didn't find her. She didn't know how long, but for now, she had to pretend she wasn't a princess. Maybe if she found a town, she could try to blend in with the townsfolk. She wasn't sure how well that would work out, though.

After a while, it began to get dark, and the former princess was beginning to get a bit cold. The night would be harsh, especially in this time of the year. Peach decided that her ideas had to wait, now her priority was to make sure she stayed warm.

She created a small, makeshift fire pit and surrounded it with small rocks to make sure the fire wouldn't spread. Then, she gathered a pile of sticks and placed it in the middle. Taking two sticks, she tried to ignite a fire but rubbing them together quickly.

It was without success, as she could barely make more than a spark. After several minutes, she got frustrated and gave up. By then, she was starting to grow tired, and she was still freezing. The former princess started wondering if this was a bad idea after all.

 _"I can't believe I did this. This was a stupid idea..."_ she thought to herself. _"I should have just stayed."_ She closed her eyes and shook her head. _"No. If I stayed, it would have felt like torture. I'd have to marry Bowser, it'd be unbearable."_

She felt tears going down her face. She thought about what could have been. She and Mario had been in love with each other for quite some time. He had been her knight in shining armor, or in this case, overalls and a cap.

The worst thing was, is that Peach was planning on proposing to him. She was going to pop the question that fateful day when... the incident happened. It had been the absolute worst day of her life.

She knew that she would never see Mario again. She knew she would have to move on eventually. But it was so hard to do.

While she was crying, she felt a hand on her shoulder, which startled her. But when she looked up, no one was there. She got up and looked around. Strange, maybe her imagination was playing a trick on her. But then she felt someone tap her shoulder. She quickly turned around and-

"BOO!" someone shouted. Peach was so surprised by the sudden jumpscare that she fell back. She looked up and saw an unnaturally pale man floating above her. He wore a white outfit and a purple cape. His hair was white, he had purple eyes, and a crown on his head. He was laughing like crazy. "You should have seen your face! How priceless! It never ceases to amaze me how easily scared you mortals can be."

"That wasn't funny at all!" Peach yelled. She knew who this was. Mario and Luigi told her about him. Floating before her was none other than King Boo.

"You're right. It wasn't funny." he replied, still laughing. "It was hilarious! It always is!"

"That's not the point!" Peach exclaimed. "What are you doing here? What do you want from me?!"

King Boo stopped laughing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to cause you any harm. I saw you running from something... or someone. My, you look like you've seen better days." he told her. "Were you crying?"

"What? No I wasn't!" she defended, slightly scared.

"I saw your tears." he replied. "I'm guessing you haven't been doing well since the Marios'... departure."

"It's been awful..." Peach sighed. "I fled the castle."

"But why would you do that?" he asked. "Tired of life as a princess?" he laughed.

"No..." she mumbled. "I just couldn't stand the idea of having to marry Bowser." Peach told him. "So I... ran away. But maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all..."

"Maybe so. Do you have any idea what you're going to do or where you will go?"

"N-no..." Peach admitted weakly.

"I thought so. But I understand why you would want to run away. That high amount of arrogance can cause one to become unlikable." the king stated. "I wouldn't want to marry him, either. But you realize he's going to go looking for you, right?"

"You're not going to tell him I'm here, are you?" Peach asked, trying to hide her fear.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." he assured her. But Peach was still skeptical. She knew about what he had done before. The Mario Bros told her about the mansion and the Dark Moon incident. She wasn't sure if she could trust someone like him at all, let alone to keep a secret. She did feel a bit thankful that it was just King Boo and not one of Bowser's minions. "But it's getting late." he told her. "You should probably get some rest." He pulled out a blanket and put it over her.

"Thank you..." She reluctantly accepted. She wasn't sure why he was being nice to her, but she chose not to question it. She needed all the help she could get. But this was quite strange for an evil king like him.

"I would leave as soon as you wake up if I were you." he advised. "If you stay here, they might find you. I also know of a town near the forest. You might be able to stay there if you blend in."

"Okay." She replied. She was still unsure. "I don't understand though, why are you being so nice to me?"

"That, princess, is a question for another day. I'm afraid I must go, but I wish you good luck... farewell." he told her as he disappeared with a "poof!"

Peach sat there for a second and thought about what just happened. Why would a scary and powerful villain be helping her anyway? Pity? She wasn't sure. He and Bowser didn't get along that well, so maybe he was helping her to spite him? Well, the important thing was that she wasn't going to freeze anymore, so she was just happy about that.

She slowly began to close her eyes, and very soon, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Morning came, and Peach left her spot as soon as she could. She destroyed the makeshift fire pit to cover her tracks, and she also decided to keep the blanket with her just in case she needed it for something.

After two hours of walking through the forest, Peach eventually found a town. She had already changed into some raggedy dress so that she wouldn't stand out.

"Okay, what am I going to do now?" the former princess thought. "I won't last long on what I've got. I need a place to stay..." she continued. "I'll figure something out."

The streets weren't as kind as Peach expected. Throughout the day, she got pushed, shoved, and even kicked at one point. She blended in alright, nobody seemed to even acknowledge her presence. She started to feel terribly guilty. While she was living a lap of luxury, there were people living in horrid conditions like this? This opened her eyes, as the princess was so used to everyone having her attention. Being ignored was... a strange feeling.

She continued walking through the village. While doing so, she bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm very sorry!" she quickly apologized and looked at who she collided with. It was an old woman, with a very stern and condescending look on her face.

"You're not from here, are you?" the woman asked.

"How did you know?"

"You apologized. The people here don't do that when they bump into someone." she replied.

"They don't?" Peach gasped. "That's rude!"

"That's just how it is here." the elderly woman told her. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, me?" she responded. "A few towns over."

"Oh, well in that case, welcome to Attleford. Where are you staying?"

"Oh, well... I'm still working on that." Peach replied.

"You mean you're homeless?"

"Well, I guess?"

"Do you have a job, at least?" the woman asked.

"Uh... no." she admitted.

"Do you want one?"

"A job?" Peach asked.

"Of course. I run a motel. You can work there, and in return, I offer you a place to stay." the woman explained.

Peach thought about it. A motel? That didn't sound too bad. She had never been in a motel, but knew it was like a less expensive version of a hotel.

"I guess. I don't really have many options." Peach accepted her offer.

* * *

The old woman brought her to the motel and gave her a quick tour. The motel wasn't really five star material, but it was alright. The old woman showed her to her room.

"So this is where you will be staying." the woman explained. Peach walked into the room. It was shabby, and the wallpaper was brown and peeling off. There was a single bed, and a bureau with a mirror, which had a crack in it. There was also a faded window that couldn't be opened, and a there was a nightstand near the bed, with an old lamp.

Peach walked around, her footsteps made the wooden floorboards creak. "Hmm... I guess it's alright." she told the old woman. " _Oh my goodness, this is awful! How am I going to live like this?"_ she thought.

"I expect you to be in the lobby no later than seven o'clock tomorrow." the woman told her. "From then you will be given your duties for the day. You will have three meals a day."

"I understand."

"I also have a set of rules that I expect all of my employees to follow at all times." the woman explained. "No complaining, so stealing, no lights on after ten o'clock, no goofing off, and no being rude to guests. If you break any rules, you will be thrown out. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." Peach responded.

"Good." the woman said. "It's getting late. You have a long day ahead of you, so get some sleep." The woman said as she was about to leave.

"Wait!"

"What is it?" the old woman asked, slightly annoyed.

"I never got your name." she told her.

"Tell me your name first."

"It's uh..." Peach quickly thought of names. "Angela."

The woman sighed. "It's Norma. Norma Mills. You are to call me Ms. Mills."

"Yes, Ms. Mills."

"Good night." Ms. Mills said as she left, closing the door behind her. Peach sat on the bed and thought about her new job.

She hoped it wouldn't be so bad. She wasn't used to this at all, she had never had a job before, all her servants did mostly everything for her. But she had to stay strong. It was either this, or marrying Bowser, and she would do anything to avoid the latter.

It took her a while to fall asleep, but eventually, she found herself comfortable enough to doze off.

* * *

The next day was brutal. She arrived in the lobby a few minutes early to make a good impression. It was alright so far, but then she received her chores for the day.

She spent the whole day scrubbing the floors, cleaning windows, changing bedsheets, and sweeping. She did get her three meals, but the food was subpar.

Peach was so relieved when it was time to go to sleep, she was more tired than she had ever been in her life. She fell onto her bed and fell asleep.

* * *

As she slept, she started to dream. She wasn't sure where she was, everything was so dark. She wandered around for a bit.

"It's nice to see you again." a familiar voice said, which surprised her, which caused the voice to chuckle a bit. Peach turned around and saw King Boo. "Once again, you're scared so easily."

"Please don't do that again!" Peach criticized.

"Fine, I won't scare you again." he apologized. "I can't help the fact that it's quite comedic, though."

"It's okay." she responded. "I really appreciate what you did the other night."

"It was no problem. I just felt the need to help you." the king replied.

"Well, I still appreciate it." Peach said.

"Did you make it out of that forest?" he asked.

"I did." she told him. "I managed to get a job and a place to stay. It's a motel. But I've only been there one day, and it's already hard."

"Of course. You were a pampered little princess for most of your life. This is a dramatic transition for you."

"You do have a point." she agreed. "I'll try to do my best."

* * *

The days went by as the former princess started getting used to the daily grind. Those days turned into weeks as she spent her time sweeping, dusting, and mopping. It was exhausting, for she would wake up at half past six in the morning, and not be finished until nine o'clock at night. Not to mention it seemed as though Ms. Mills didn't like her. She would make comments like "scrub harder!" and "you're not folding them right!". The other workers weren't that nice either. One employee, Laurel, decided it would be funny to trip her while she was walking down the hallway.

However, she did look forward to the day's end. King Boo had made a habit of visiting her dreams quite often. Why, she wasn't sure. They would have conversations about the day before. Despite the fact that he was the King of Boos, he would treat her kindly, as though she was an old friend.

She was still confused why he suddenly cared so much, was he concerned about her? They had barely ever interacted before. And a rather terrifying realization came to her: she didn't mind his presence at all, in fact, she even liked his company. She looked forward to seeing him, and she couldn't explain why. He was a villain! He was an evil and powerful king who was feared by many. She should be afraid of him. But he was so nice to her, a side of him she had never heard of. What reason did he have to be kind to her? And if Mario was alive, what would he think of this? He might be horrified at the thought of her befriending someone like him. She felt quite guilty about this.

One night, she got her answer when she was visited again by King Boo.

"Peach Toadstool, there is just something about you." he told her.

"What do you mean?" she responded.

He looked at her. "I was only going to visit you once, and then leave you alone, but for some reason, I found myself wanting to return to you, to see you again. I have spent my time thinking about you." he explained. He floated in front of her, and held her hands. "There's just something about you, something that I have yet to find in anyone else."

"I don't understand, what have you found in me?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what exactly. I have never felt this way. I am the King of Boos. I have put fear into the hearts of mortals. But I just have this strange need, a strong desire to be with you, to make sure you're okay. I have heard of this feeling, but I had never experienced it until now. I thought I could escape it, but I couldn't handle this emotion any longer. Princess Peach Toadstool, I have fallen in love with you."

"You're in love with me?" the princess gasped. She couldn't believe this, was this the reason he kept visiting her?

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "I am very much in love with you, my dear princess." he murmured as he held her close to him. "I wasn't sure what Mario had seen in you, but now I understand why. You're very kind, and beautiful. And you've been through so much, I just want you to be alright."

"I... I don't know what to say." Peach stammered nervously. She couldn't think, and she should have been scared. But she was no longer afraid of him, in fact, she felt a calm yet satisfying sensation when he brought her closer, as though everything would be alright if he was near.

He began to stroke her hair. "I'm aware of the many horrible things I've done. I am not a good person. But I can make sure you're happy and safe with me."

She thought about his confession. She felt kind of wrong about all this, but at the same time, they had gotten to know each other quite well over the course of a month, and he hadn't harmed her. Then she thought about Mario, and how he might have reacted if he were still alive. He would probably want her to move on, but with King Boo? Who knows. But being in his arms was a feeling that she couldn't find the right words to describe.

After all, she was trying to leave her old life behind. Maybe he would be able to help her.

"To be completely honest," the princess confessed. "I have really enjoyed your company as well, and you're the one thing I look forward to each day. I think... I think I might have some feelings for you too. But what if people find out about all this?"

"They don't need to know." he assured her. "It'll be our little secret."

They held each other for a while. "It'll be morning soon. But I don't want to leave just yet..."

"I know, but we'll see each other again soon."

"You're right. Besides, I have a job to do."

"Good luck, my dear." he whispered to her.

"Thank you, King Boo." the princess thanked.

"You're welcome."

* * *

When she woke up that morning, she was still blushing. She couldn't stop thinking about the night before, about how the most feared being in the entire Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, told her he loved her. It was all so much to take in. But she had to save those thoughts for another time, because it was time to start working once more.

As she walked into the lobby, she heard the gossip of the other employees.

"Did you hear, they say the Princess has been missing for over a month!"

"Really? No way!"

"I heard that King Bowser is offering a reward for those who bring her back!"

"Corinne told me that some people in Mushroom City tried to turn in a blonde imposter for the reward."

Peach felt her heart drop when she heard that last sentence. Her loyal subjects would easily sell her out like that? She felt quite betrayed. She had to be extra careful now.

She was assigned her tasks, as per usual. However, while she was sweeping the kitchen by herself, Laurel walked into the room.

"I know it's you." she muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"The others here are probably too stupid to notice, but I'm smart enough to tell you're the Princess."

"What makes you think I'm a princess?!" Peach exclaimed.

"I can tell you're inexperienced when it comes to cleaning. Not to mention you have the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and face." Laurel pointed out. "Don't even bother trying to cover it up, Peach!"

She gasped. "Please don't tell anyone!"

"I won't." she assured her. "Under one condition."

"What would that be, exactly?" Peach asked.

"You do my chores for me, along with your own." she demanded.

"That is absurd!"

"It's either more chores, or be ratted out to the cops. Which one will it be, blondie?" Laurel questioned with a smirk on her face.

Peach knew she couldn't go back, she wouldn't lose this battle.

"Alright, fine." she sighed. "I will perform your duties."

"Good, I knew I could count on you!" she laughed meanly as she left Peach to continue sweeping.

This would be a long day.

* * *

A long day, it was indeed. Now that her workload had doubled, she had less time to breathe. It was a seemingly never-ending cycle of back and forth. She got less hours of sleep, less time to eat, and it was showing. The stress was starting to get to her. All while Laurel was taking it easy, and slacking off with her friends.

"I'm very concerned about you, dear." King Boo told her one night.

"I'm fine. It's nothing, I can handle this." she defended.

"No, this is troublesome. Look at you, you're not eating enough, you're not getting enough sleep." he reminded her. "Stress kills, believe me, I've seen it happen."

"But what am I supposed to do? Tell her the deal's off and then have her reveal me to the authorities? I can't go back, I just can't!" she exclaimed.

"I understand." he told her as he held her close. "But it hurts to see you suffer like this. How long do you plan on living like this?"

"I don't know..." she responded weakly. "I don't know..."

"Come with me."

"What?"

"You can run away and live with me. You won't have to work the life out of you."

"I don't know where to go!" she replied.

"I can take you there. Please, I don't want to see you slave away like this. You'll be alright, I promise. I just want you happy." he said to her.

"Okay, I'll go with you." she accepted. "But when?"

"We can leave tomorrow."

"Just one more day..." she added. "I think I'll be able to handle one more day."

"Are you sure?"

"I've already handled this much already. A single day shouldn't do much harm." she assured.

"You're a lot more determined than I thought, aren't you?" he complimented.

"I gained it over time, I guess." she shrugged.

"Well, promised me you'll used that determination to get through the day?"

"I promise."

"You're going to be alright. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Morning arrived faster than Peach had anticipated. Her chores went on like normal, but she noticed Laurel had a smile on her face, as though she was planning something. The former princess tried her best to ignore it.

Later in the afternoon, she was changing the sheets in every bedroom. As she walked out of one of the rooms, she was met with a terrifying sight.

She saw Laurel talking with what appeared to be the police.

"The princess has been here for at least a month. She's working in this hotel, officer." Laurel explained to them.

"Are you positive it's really Her Highness?" the officer asked.

"It's most certainly her." she confirmed. She turned towards Peach and pointed her direction. "In fact, there she is right now."

Peach gasped as the police saw her, and quickly ran down the hallway to her room. She locked the door, and she could hear them running down the hallway. She was in a panic, now. The police were sure to look in every room. What was she to do?

"Peach!" she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw King Boo in the room with her.

"You came back for me..." she said quietly.

"We don't have much time! Please come with me, you'll be safe." he told her as he held out his hand.

Peach smiled and took his hand, right as they both heard banging on the door. "I will."

* * *

The police officers kicked down the door, but they were surprised to find the room empty.

"That's strange, I couldn't have sworn I heard someone in here..." an officer stated.

"We'll just have to keep on looking." another one added.

"Well hurry up and find her!" Laurel shouted.

"Don't worry ma'am," the first officer told her. "We'll find her."

* * *

They never did.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? Good? Amazing? Terrible? I tried to write King Boo a bit differently than in my older fics. I wanted to make him have emotions and seem more than just a spooky scary villain like before. I was also gonna write a kiss scene, but I'm not that good at those. This pairing is underrated as hell, though, and maybe this will inspire some people to give this crack ship more attention.**

 **Also, I like writing this Humanized AU. It's kinda interesting, and I'm thinking of writing more of this.**

 **Anyway, if you have any constructive criticism, please tell me! I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.**

 **Thanks!**


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